Well, I'm 21, so most people in my age group are still in that "Young, and wild, and free" stage of life. To most of them, money is still that green stuff your parents give you when you whine. Fortunately, my closest friends get that which leads to the greatest mustachian hobby ever for 21 year old boy-men: Free online Gaming! We live thousands of miles apart now, but grew up together, and the four of us will get on a Skype call (free) and game together online on a game that is also free probably once a week.

It's that next circle of friends that always want to go out all the time. But yes, @Sam E, it is unusual for people around that age to go to a bar for just the food and atmosphere. Bars for my friends usually go two ways: a) buy $2 dollar pitchers of shitty beer until they cut you off (mostly the boys) or flirt with men to get free drinks till they are cut off (usually the girls).

Back at the beginning of 2013 I sold my car and opted to use only my bike, no matter the weather. Over the next year and a half I biked everyday, even through the winter. Near the end of 2014 I chose to buy a car again to have as a backup plan. When I called my old insurance agent to sign up for car insurance again the conversation went like this...

Agent: So you said you had insurance through us back in 2013. Who insures you now?Me: No one. I sold my car then and used just my bike, so I haven't had insurance. Now I'm buying a car so that's what I need insurance for. I figured I'd get it through you again.Agent: Oh... So you've been driving without insurance since you last cancelled with us?Me: No, I haven't been driving at all. I don't even own a car that I could insure. I've been getting around by bicycle the last year and a half.Agent: Okay... so you don't have a car right now.Me: Right.Agent: And that's why you don't have insurance.Me: Exactly.Agent: So... you've been driving without insurance for a year and a half?Me: NO! *facedesk*

I just couldn't get it through his head that I simply wasn't driving. Any car. Whatsoever. I eventually got through to him after about 10 minutes of pulling teeth, but it's really astounding how far outside the box his mind had to stretch just for such a straightforward concept.

Back at the beginning of 2013 I sold my car and opted to use only my bike, no matter the weather. Over the next year and a half I biked everyday, even through the winter. Near the end of 2014 I chose to buy a car again to have as a backup plan. When I called my old insurance agent to sign up for car insurance again the conversation went like this...

Agent: So you said you had insurance through us back in 2013. Who insures you now?Me: No one. I sold my car then and used just my bike, so I haven't had insurance. Now I'm buying a car so that's what I need insurance for. I figured I'd get it through you again.Agent: Oh... So you've been driving without insurance since you last cancelled with us?Me: No, I haven't been driving at all. I don't even own a car that I could insure. I've been getting around by bicycle the last year and a half.Agent: Okay... so you don't have a car right now.Me: Right.Agent: And that's why you don't have insurance.Me: Exactly.Agent: So... you've been driving without insurance for a year and a half?Me: NO! *facedesk*

I just couldn't get it through his head that I simply wasn't driving. Any car. Whatsoever. I eventually got through to him after about 10 minutes of pulling teeth, but it's really astounding how far outside the box his mind had to stretch just for such a straightforward concept.

It would be at that point that I would thank him for his time, hang up and find another agent. Someone who understands basic concepts like "the insurance you need depends on the exposure you have".

The shortest daily used time is the New York Second, defined as the time between the traffic light changing to green and the cab beyond you honking.

A swedish automotive journalist once tried to time the lenght of the New York Second in Stockholm and started in the outskirts driving towards the city center. When the lights turned green he waited until the car behind him honked until he started driving. Approaching the downtown area, the times were shorter and shorter. Once he reached the absolute center of Stockholm he realized that it was the same car behind him on the whole journey....

That's adorable. Funny. I laughed way too hard cuz I could see my moms side of family doing that.

BTW, A Malaysian second would be somewhere between 20 sec and infinity. Once I sat at a green light for I swear a whole minute. I thought the red right- turn was my light. Not a single car honked. One motorcycle zipped past me. I thought, "wow, that's dangerous". Second one sped past me and I thought, "holy hell scooters be crazy today", third one zipped past and I thought, "Is there something I'm fundamentally getting wrong here?" Sure enough, I was looking at the wrong light. 6 car drivers, in line behind me, patiently waited. None honked.

So my landlord just told me and my roommate the "good news" that he bought an air conditioner for our apartment and will be installing it in a few days. I immediately panicked, and told him I didn't want an air conditioner (though I said if my roommate wanted it, I would defer to her). Didn't he remember when I moved in and REMOVED the window air conditioner that was in my bedroom? The fact that the apartment did not have air conditioning was a plus for me when I was looking at apartments. My wonderful roommate said she was fine with not having the air conditioner either. The landlord's response: "Well, I'll just put it in and then you can use it if you want." I'm sure he thinks he is improving the apartment, but I am supremely annoyed. There's not a lot of extra space in the living room (as it should be), so I don't really want an air conditioner that will be ugly, take up space, and tempt the roommate. Grr.

(However, I admit that while the air conditioner aspect to this is "mustachian," the real problem here is that the landlord loves to make "improvements" to the apartment that I actually don't like, without consulting me first, while there are other things around the apartment that I wish he would fix and have asked him to fix and he does not fix).

Btw, that insurance agent story is scary. "So... you've been driving without insurance for a year and a half?" WHAT?

Back at the beginning of 2013 I sold my car and opted to use only my bike, no matter the weather. Over the next year and a half I biked everyday, even through the winter. Near the end of 2014 I chose to buy a car again to have as a backup plan. When I called my old insurance agent to sign up for car insurance again the conversation went like this...

Agent: So you said you had insurance through us back in 2013. Who insures you now?Me: No one. I sold my car then and used just my bike, so I haven't had insurance. Now I'm buying a car so that's what I need insurance for. I figured I'd get it through you again.Agent: Oh... So you've been driving without insurance since you last cancelled with us?Me: No, I haven't been driving at all. I don't even own a car that I could insure. I've been getting around by bicycle the last year and a half.Agent: Okay... so you don't have a car right now.Me: Right.Agent: And that's why you don't have insurance.Me: Exactly.Agent: So... you've been driving without insurance for a year and a half?Me: NO! *facedesk*

I just couldn't get it through his head that I simply wasn't driving. Any car. Whatsoever. I eventually got through to him after about 10 minutes of pulling teeth, but it's really astounding how far outside the box his mind had to stretch just for such a straightforward concept.

Not nearly as face-palm inducing, but I went to pick up a rental car (without DH, who typically comes along) and had the following conversation with the rental guy:

Him: So you only want liability insurance.Me: Yes.Him: What happens if you wreck my car?Me: (pause. realize he's talking about the rental car, and not his personal vehicle.) We will pay for it.Him: So you have car insurance?Me: No, we don't have car insurance. That's why we're getting the liability.Him: So what if you get in a wreck and wreck my car?Me: We will pay for it. Out of pocket. Him: But you DO want liability?Me: Yes. Paying for a car is nothing compared to possible medical expenses. We just want the liability.Him: *clearly the wheels in his head are still turning as he hands me the paperwork* Sign here.

It felt like he was trying to man-splain and/or up-sell me, and playing on the fact that I was a woman alone (the implication being that I knew nothing about car insurance or could be scared into purchasing more insurance). He also could not process the idea that someone could pay for a car out of pocket if anything happened (also, we now realize we also get loss-damage insurance through our credit card).

I always go through my credit card for rental cars. It's funny the look of panic when I tell them I just want liability. And then when I return the car with nary a scratch they pretend that conversation never happened.

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Embracing the absurd condition of human existence while also defiantly continuing to explore and search for meaning

It felt like he was trying to man-splain and/or up-sell me, and playing on the fact that I was a woman alone (the implication being that I knew nothing about car insurance or could be scared into purchasing more insurance). He also could not process the idea that someone could pay for a car out of pocket if anything happened (also, we now realize we also get loss-damage insurance through our credit card).

I doubt it was that, honestly. Most likely a combination of the second part of your post and the salesperson's desire to up-sell (possibly combined with his personal beliefs about how necessary insurance is; many people wouldn't dare have anything but the highest coverage with the lowest deductibles).

I recently bought a new car and had to argue against an extended warranty with the financial officer for about 15 full minutes before we could continue with the paperwork. He used the same tactics on me (a male) as you describe. First he was shocked I didn't instantly buy into it at the first mention of the extended warranty, then he tried to convince me it was a way to save money in the long run, then he tried to scare me with how expensive it would be to repair the car, then he tried to scare me with how likely it would be that something would break, then he tried to bring up money savings in the long run again... we went around in circles for 15 actual minutes and then I was finally allowed to begin filling out paperwork to finalize the car sale. It was excruciating.

It felt like he was trying to man-splain and/or up-sell me, and playing on the fact that I was a woman alone (the implication being that I knew nothing about car insurance or could be scared into purchasing more insurance). He also could not process the idea that someone could pay for a car out of pocket if anything happened (also, we now realize we also get loss-damage insurance through our credit card).

I doubt it was that, honestly. Most likely a combination of the second part of your post and the salesperson's desire to up-sell (possibly combined with his personal beliefs about how necessary insurance is; many people wouldn't dare have anything but the highest coverage with the lowest deductibles).

I recently bought a new car and had to argue against an extended warranty with the financial officer for about 15 full minutes before we could continue with the paperwork. He used the same tactics on me (a male) as you describe. First he was shocked I didn't instantly buy into it at the first mention of the extended warranty, then he tried to convince me it was a way to save money in the long run, then he tried to scare me with how expensive it would be to repair the car, then he tried to scare me with how likely it would be that something would break, then he tried to bring up money savings in the long run again... we went around in circles for 15 actual minutes and then I was finally allowed to begin filling out paperwork to finalize the car sale. It was excruciating.

Sounds like the financial officer doesn't have much faith in their products... I probably would have threatened to walk out on the deal if he kept pushing it.

Right? Oh, so your reason for selling me the warranty is that your car is a piece of shit. Please, tell me why you're telling me this now and not after I've signed the papers. Do you really suck at your job that much?

Right? Oh, so your reason for selling me the warranty is that your car is a piece of shit. Please, tell me why you're telling me this now and not after I've signed the papers. Do you really suck at your job that much?

I actually said this to the guy at the car dealership when they were trying to sell me all the add on products (before I had bought the car).

I basically said, "Wow- if all this stuff is necessary, it sounds like it isn't a good car to be buying. Maybe I should go look at something else."

Right? Oh, so your reason for selling me the warranty is that your car is a piece of shit. Please, tell me why you're telling me this now and not after I've signed the papers. Do you really suck at your job that much?

He probably couldn't tell you the real reason for the pressure because it was something along the lines of "we make a lot of money off this product by preying on people's fear...".

Back at the beginning of 2013 I sold my car and opted to use only my bike, no matter the weather. Over the next year and a half I biked everyday, even through the winter. Near the end of 2014 I chose to buy a car again to have as a backup plan. When I called my old insurance agent to sign up for car insurance again the conversation went like this...

Agent: So you said you had insurance through us back in 2013. Who insures you now?Me: No one. I sold my car then and used just my bike, so I haven't had insurance. Now I'm buying a car so that's what I need insurance for. I figured I'd get it through you again.Agent: Oh... So you've been driving without insurance since you last cancelled with us?Me: No, I haven't been driving at all. I don't even own a car that I could insure. I've been getting around by bicycle the last year and a half.Agent: Okay... so you don't have a car right now.Me: Right.Agent: And that's why you don't have insurance.Me: Exactly.Agent: So... you've been driving without insurance for a year and a half?Me: NO! *facedesk*

I just couldn't get it through his head that I simply wasn't driving. Any car. Whatsoever. I eventually got through to him after about 10 minutes of pulling teeth, but it's really astounding how far outside the box his mind had to stretch just for such a straightforward concept.

Not nearly as face-palm inducing, but I went to pick up a rental car (without DH, who typically comes along) and had the following conversation with the rental guy:

Him: So you only want liability insurance.Me: Yes.Him: What happens if you wreck my car?Me: (pause. realize he's talking about the rental car, and not his personal vehicle.) We will pay for it.Him: So you have car insurance?Me: No, we don't have car insurance. That's why we're getting the liability.Him: So what if you get in a wreck and wreck my car?Me: We will pay for it. Out of pocket. Him: But you DO want liability?Me: Yes. Paying for a car is nothing compared to possible medical expenses. We just want the liability.Him: *clearly the wheels in his head are still turning as he hands me the paperwork* Sign here.

It felt like he was trying to man-splain and/or up-sell me, and playing on the fact that I was a woman alone (the implication being that I knew nothing about car insurance or could be scared into purchasing more insurance). He also could not process the idea that someone could pay for a car out of pocket if anything happened (also, we now realize we also get loss-damage insurance through our credit card).

Just make sure you understand the terms of that. For most credit cards, the collision damage protection provided by credit cards is secondary - it only kicks in after you've filed a claim through your car insurance company. You'll still have to pay the deductible up front and your premiums may go up. Secondary coverage will only cover things your car insurance does not (it will cover your deductible and other fees). Also, some vehicles, in particular luxury vehicles, are excluded from coverage.

Got paid $500 in cash unexpectedly (long story) and don't know what to do with it. It'd take forever to spend, the bank is out of my way, and I don't like leaving it lying around. Guess I'll just have to hide it in a mattress.

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Semi-FIREd December 2017, part-time entrepreneur, lover of puppies and saltwater.

I had the same experience with upselling when purchasing regular car insurance.

Agent: you can add roadside assistance for just $X/month!Me: No thank you, I am comfortable with the coverage I have.Agent: What about rental car coverage while your car is in the shop? You don't want to be without a car while your car is being fixed.Me: We have two cars, we would be fine.Agent: Are you sure? The biggest complaint we get is from people who don't get the roadside and rental car protection and are left stranded when something happens.Me: Well I understand the risks but I have run the numbers on your pricing, compared the alternatives, and like my odds just fine.Agent: How would you feel if your wife was left stranded alone on the side of the road when you could have had that coverage for just an extra $X per month?

At this point I am pretty annoyed at the thinly veiled suggestion that I am a cheap careless bastard, but I summon my nicest voice to offer a definitive "please go ahead with the coverage that was already agreed upon". She sounded pretty sour as she finished the paperwork and offered the least convincing "have a nice day" I have ever heard when hanging up.

I had the same experience with upselling when purchasing regular car insurance.

Agent: you can add roadside assistance for just $X/month!Me: No thank you, I am comfortable with the coverage I have.Agent: What about rental car coverage while your car is in the shop? You don't want to be without a car while your car is being fixed.Me: We have two cars, we would be fine.Agent: Are you sure? The biggest complaint we get is from people who don't get the roadside and rental car protection and are left stranded when something happens.Me: Well I understand the risks but I have run the numbers on your pricing, compared the alternatives, and like my odds just fine.Agent: How would you feel if your wife was left stranded alone on the side of the road when you could have had that coverage for just an extra $X per month?

At this point I am pretty annoyed at the thinly veiled suggestion that I am a cheap careless bastard, but I summon my nicest voice to offer a definitive "please go ahead with the coverage that was already agreed upon". She sounded pretty sour as she finished the paperwork and offered the least convincing "have a nice day" I have ever heard when hanging up.

Rental cars I can do little about (DH's work gets a discount through the one we use) but I'm always a little shocked when agents--who depend on their clients--are clearly dismissive and, it seems as your post indicates, more than a little rude when selling insurance. Do they just assume the client already has insurance and won't shop around?

(I called every year without fail when my old auto insurance company tried to raise my rates with other quotes; I'm fairly positive they were thrilled that I was gone when I called to cancel after I sold my car...)

I had the same experience with upselling when purchasing regular car insurance.

Agent: you can add roadside assistance for just $X/month!Me: No thank you, I am comfortable with the coverage I have.Agent: What about rental car coverage while your car is in the shop? You don't want to be without a car while your car is being fixed.Me: We have two cars, we would be fine.Agent: Are you sure? The biggest complaint we get is from people who don't get the roadside and rental car protection and are left stranded when something happens.Me: Well I understand the risks but I have run the numbers on your pricing, compared the alternatives, and like my odds just fine.Agent: How would you feel if your wife was left stranded alone on the side of the road when you could have had that coverage for just an extra $X per month?

At this point I am pretty annoyed at the thinly veiled suggestion that I am a cheap careless bastard, but I summon my nicest voice to offer a definitive "please go ahead with the coverage that was already agreed upon". She sounded pretty sour as she finished the paperwork and offered the least convincing "have a nice day" I have ever heard when hanging up.

Rental cars I can do little about (DH's work gets a discount through the one we use) but I'm always a little shocked when agents--who depend on their clients--are clearly dismissive and, it seems as your post indicates, more than a little rude when selling insurance. Do they just assume the client already has insurance and won't shop around?

(I called every year without fail when my old auto insurance company tried to raise my rates with other quotes; I'm fairly positive they were thrilled that I was gone when I called to cancel after I sold my car...)

Eh, the auto insurance market is highly commoditized and they know that people shop on price. This far down in the underwriting process, they know that I have already picked them because they're the cheapest. It would take me an awful lot more of rudeness from their part for me to be so pissed off that I hang up and call the second best competitor instead. They might as well do a hard sell on the extras, but not until they've secured a solid sale prospect.

Logging frequently into computers at work just to see if MMM has a new article out yet ... still waiting .... so patiently :) " " " " " " " " " " Frugal Toque has a new article out yet ..... still waiting .... soooooo patiently :)

Logging frequently into computers at work just to see if MMM has a new article out yet ... still waiting .... so patiently :) " " " " " " " " " " Frugal Toque has a new article out yet ..... still waiting .... soooooo patiently :)

By the way, do you use RSS? If you don't I highly recommend it over checking any continually updating website manually.

I'm getting initiated into a union all of a sudden and really need to know whether I can pay the initiation fee by credit card. Because if so I want to open one of the cards that has a bonus for spending 3k in the first 3 months or something. But I can't get an answer. My concern is that if I do hear back that it's okay, they're only going to tell me a day or two before the swearing in, but I need to know in enough time to apply for and get the card. And I'm straining my brain but I can't figure out a feasible excuse to get them to hurry up with the answer.

I thought I was the only one! At Christmas I am considered weird now because I rarely ask for clothes and never for jewelry. I don't seem to want much other than giftcards to certain stores, a hair care line that my woolly head happens to like and help cleaning the house and clearing clutter (free).

For my birthday, I'm having a very low cost, low stress "party". Wear a costume to the free admittance zoo I've been wanting to go to. No gifts. Recommend taking transit rather than driving due to insane parking fees. Maybe a little odd, but not hard, right?

For my birthday, I'm having a very low cost, low stress "party". Wear a costume to the free admittance zoo I've been wanting to go to. No gifts. Recommend taking transit rather than driving due to insane parking fees. Maybe a little odd, but not hard, right?

For my birthday, I'm having a very low cost, low stress "party". Wear a costume to the free admittance zoo I've been wanting to go to. No gifts. Recommend taking transit rather than driving due to insane parking fees. Maybe a little odd, but not hard, right?

You'd think I asked them to invent warp drive.

The words "wear a costume" and "low stress" do not go together, IMO. That's the most difficult part of your party plan; not the no-gifts, not the transit (though many people just don't care about parking fees).

I thought I was the only one! At Christmas I am considered weird now because I rarely ask for clothes and never for jewelry. [...]

Ha! When I first got with my SO, I spent a fair amount getting her jewelry. Once I got into decluttering and a more minimalist approach to my surroundings, I noticed that she almost never wore them. Kind of defeats the purpose if you ask me. We did get a silly fake necklace (free gift with a shirt...bamboo and probably turqoise colored concrete), and she wears that more than the sapphire bracelet I got her and the like. I realized that she may actually internalize a bit of what I say regarding usefulness of things, even though she denies it. :)

For my birthday, I'm having a very low cost, low stress "party". Wear a costume to the free admittance zoo I've been wanting to go to. No gifts. Recommend taking transit rather than driving due to insane parking fees. Maybe a little odd, but not hard, right?

You'd think I asked them to invent warp drive.

The words "wear a costume" and "low stress" do not go together, IMO. That's the most difficult part of your party plan; not the no-gifts, not the transit (though many people just don't care about parking fees).

Well, low stress for me. And my birthday is in October, this will be a week or so before Halloween, so it's not so unreasonable. If I were doing it now, then yeah I'd understand.

Well, low stress for me. And my birthday is in October, this will be a week or so before Halloween, so it's not so unreasonable. If I were doing it now, then yeah I'd understand.

Not unreasonable, but still stressful.

<-- Plans business trips around halloween to avoid going to costume parties. :)

Lol, I feel the opposite! Our friends get together and wear costumes at regular intervals! Our wedding was medieval and almost everyone played along :-) DH and I have a whole closet just full of medieval clothes, and another closet is half full of various costumes that he uses for community theater productions.

Well, low stress for me. And my birthday is in October, this will be a week or so before Halloween, so it's not so unreasonable. If I were doing it now, then yeah I'd understand.

Not unreasonable, but still stressful.

<-- Plans business trips around halloween to avoid going to costume parties. :)

Lol, I feel the opposite! Our friends get together and wear costumes at regular intervals! Our wedding was medieval and almost everyone played along :-) DH and I have a whole closet just full of medieval clothes, and another closet is half full of various costumes that he uses for community theater productions.

iowajes - Normally, I'm the same. Too much craziness can happen at costume parties for my taste! I think I'll pick up some birthday hats at the dollar store for those without costumes.

Zaga - I have friends like that, in fact they're invited. For them, the costume isn't the hard part, it's which costume.

Logging frequently into computers at work just to see if MMM has a new article out yet ... still waiting .... so patiently :) " " " " " " " " " " Frugal Toque has a new article out yet ..... still waiting .... soooooo patiently :)

By the way, do you use RSS? If you don't I highly recommend it over checking any continually updating website manually.

Just make sure you understand the terms of that. For most credit cards, the collision damage protection provided by credit cards is secondary - it only kicks in after you've filed a claim through your car insurance company. You'll still have to pay the deductible up front and your premiums may go up. Secondary coverage will only cover things your car insurance does not (it will cover your deductible and other fees). Also, some vehicles, in particular luxury vehicles, are excluded from coverage.

Some Chase credit cards do have primary coverage of rental cars.

I don't have car insurance because I don't have a car, and I have capital one. I guess I'll have took into that.

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Embracing the absurd condition of human existence while also defiantly continuing to explore and search for meaning

Small rant: getting REALLY*, irrationally annoyed by people who don't walk up/down escalators. Or who don't at least get "stand right/walk left".

*I just came from a conference that was on two levels, joined by a 3-storey-tall escalator. 4 days of: breakfast/escalator/talks/escalator/break/escalator/talks/escalator/lunch/escalator/talks/escalator/break/escalator/talks/escalator/reception

Yes, I could have taken the stairs, if I cared enough to try to find them (and I didn't, really). And was I really in that much of a hurry to transition between floors (no.... I guess)? But I hated the helpless sloth of simply standing there, and the cluelessness of not letting others pass. What's with that?

People who stand IN the little sidewalk dip/ramp while they wait for the walk light in their direction to change, completely blocking your path to enter the crosswalk and cross the street in your direction, which currently has the go-ahead. Especially annoying when you're towing 80 pounds of conference-related baggage to the train station because, unlike your soft, coddled colleagues, you don't want to burden the taxpayers (yourself included) with cab fare for a 500m trip to the station.

(Really, rant aside, it was a chance to reflect on how fortunate I am to only need that dip when I am encumbered by massive luggage, and to ensure that I remain able-bodied into old age by using 'muscle over motor')

Yes, I could have taken the stairs, if I cared enough to try to find them (and I didn't, really). And was I really in that much of a hurry to transition between floors (no.... I guess)? But I hated the helpless sloth of simply standing there, and the cluelessness of not letting others pass. What's with that?

Lol my mustachian people problem is the fact that buildings are designed to make easy access available to the elevators/escalators. I know there is a handicap accessible reason for the elevator to be right up front, but I would like to find a set of stairs without having to pull out a map, compass, and trained bloodhound.

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There are two types of people in this world. Those who think they can and those who think they can't. They are both right. - Henry ford

As of this summer I can't get a leaf on my Nest anymore without pushing the minimum temp on my AC to 84F, which is uncomfortable even with the overhead fan on when I'm overwarm from doing dishes and cleaning chores by hand. And the free light from the sun heats the house up. I can't tell if I'm spoiled and soft or just pushing it too hard, but am inclined to think it's still mostly the first one.

Plus, I've brought home unwanted catering leftovers so many times lately that my own produce is starting to spoil because I haven't had time/ appetite left over to eat it.

I've switched off my 'want' impulses so many times my mother has started asking me now what I want for my birthday (three months away) so I have some time to come up with something equally pleasing and practical.

I've switched off my 'want' impulses so many times my mother has started asking me now what I want for my birthday (three months away) so I have some time to come up with something equally pleasing and practical.

I started a note for it in my phone. So far the list is:

new tea-towels

a second homemade wheatbag

I keep a running list for this specific purpose. It includes things like wool dryer balls (my mom will roll her eyes at the utilitarian nature of my list, and then proceed to stick to it because she loves me).

I'm also now keeping a list of clothing items for when mine wear out. I'm on a no-spend challenge for the year re: clothing, but when I do begin to replace pieces, I have specific (slow fashion, quality, versatile pieces for my increasingly minimalist wardrobe) that I want to replace.

Small rant: getting REALLY*, irrationally annoyed by people who don't walk up/down escalators. Or who don't at least get "stand right/walk left".

This is the first I've ever heard of such a thing. When I walked up escalators as a kid my parents would tell me to stop because it's dangerous, so I've always been firmly taught that you stand still on an escalator until you get to the end. I don't think I've ever seen an adult walk on an escalator in my life.